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Heather Armstrong, Ph.D. and Elke Reissing, Ph.D., C.Psych. of the University of Ottawa surveyed over 500 women, finding that single women seem to want casual sex primarily for physical reasons, while women in committed relationships report wanting sex for both emotional and physical reasons. This despite "underlying assumptions that women only want sex for emotional reasons or that they're having casual sex because they want a long-term mate," says Armstrong.

In exploring women's primary reasons for having casual sex, Armstrong and Reissing amassed a list that includes being turned on by a partner's looks, being sexually aroused, and seeking out physical pleasure. The most popular reasons for having sex in a committed relationship include showing affection, expressing love, and the fact that it feels good.

According to a press release, the purpose of this study was to explore how relationship context, sexual attraction, and the gender of one's partner interact and affect the sexual motivations of women.